Sir, – What ever happened to the Irish "mammy"? Since when have we become a nation of "mum" and "mom"? Are we ashamed of our particular diversity of nouns for addressing that most wonderful and important person in our life: "mother", "mammy", "mam", "ma" and even the irreverent "aul wan"? Only within recent years have mum and mom crept into Irish usage and been promoted, in the main, by media presenters. "Mum and mom are fine and endearing ways of addressing one's "mater" for British and American citizens, but can we please have the Irish "mammy" back? – Yours, etc,
DES HUGHES,
Donaghmede,
Dublin 13.